Hope for coal terminal report to allay green fears

The Resources Council has welcomed the findings of the Abbot Point environmental study.

7pm TV News QLD - file image

The Queensland Resources Council says an environmental assessment into a major port expansion in the state's north speaks louder than the voices of "environmentalist alarmists".

Sixteen environmental studies have been done as part of the cumulative impact assessment for the new coal export terminal at Abbot Point, north of Bowen.

A review of the studies found the development can proceed, if strategies are put in place to protect marine and wetland environments and wildlife, as well as continued monitoring of sensitive areas.

It found the project is unlikely to have an impact on the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef heritage area.

The resources council's Michael Roche says it is a good outcome for the project.

"From independent experts the number of coal ships that will be operating in the reef for the next decade will be about a third of those predicted by Greenpeace and coal exports will be nothing like those predicted by Greenpeace," he said.

He says environmental standards for any development near the reef are already very strict.

"The reef and shipping in the reef is very well managed now, it's highly regulated, it has stringent management arrangements and there is a confidence that the forecast increase in shipping traffic, that is the real forecast, presents minimal extra risk to the Barrier Reef," he said.

North Queensland Bulk Ports says it hopes the report allays some concern.

Chief executive Brad Fish admits the recommendations are not binding.

"The parties to this project, so the three companies and ourselves and are all 100 per cent supportive of this project and there's no regulatory binding to there but the companies and ourselves by our own actions will be working within the recommendations of this report," he said.

'Failed'

However, Greenpeace says the assessment casts doubt over the timing of the Federal Government's decision to approve the coal terminal.

Georgina Woods says the document recognises the Caley Valley Wetlands for the first time throughout the approval process.

"This is a voluntary document prepared by the coal industry, it doesn't have any statutory standing," she said.

"It's valuable information and we're glad that they did it but it wasn't included in the Federal Government's process and the coal terminal has already been approved.

"[Federal Environment Minister] Tony Burke said that if you can't get your environmental protections and systems in place on the Great Barrier Reef that you might as well give up.

"We're really concerned that the regulatory process has failed and we think it's time the Government and the people of Australia take decisive action because the coal industry is going to ruin the Great Barrier Reef."